Clutch for winding-machines and the like.



J. E. WINDLE. GLUTGH FOR WINDING MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1914. 1,128,565, Patented Feb.16, 1915.

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APPLICATION FILED 113.10, 1914.

1,128,565. Patented Feb. 16,1915.

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CLUTCH FOB WINDING-MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Application filed February 10, 1914., Serial No. 817,919. 7

T all whom it ma concern:

Be it known t at 1, JOHN E.'WINDLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches for Winding-Machines and the like, of which the following is a full and exact description. I

Cloth being usually wound upon flat T boards, the superficial speed of the winding tension while being wound, to which end 1 have devised a friction clutch which is adapted to automatically decrease n friction grip the instant there is any Increase in winding-tension.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view of a winding machine embodying my 1 mprovements. Fig. 2 is. a side view, w 1th certain parts broken away, of my fr1ct1on I clutch. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the-same. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of portions of the same. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the driving member of the clutch mechanism. Fig. 6 1s a perspective view of one of the friction controlling pendents.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the cloth A is delivered to the board B from two feeding rolls C which are uniformly rotated. Said board is rotated by power transmitted by a belt 1 to a pulley-2 turning with said board, said belt passing about the drive pulley 3 mounted to turn freely upon the drive shaft 4. The drive pulley is formed with an inner flange 5 upon the outer surface of which bear the shoes 6 which are mounted to turn independently of said pulley, but to grip said flange with a pressure suflicient to drive the winding board during its periods of maximum resistance. Eachshoe 6 is preferably faced with leather. or the like, as 7, being retained thereon by a screw 8 penetrating the same and an up-turned toe 9.

Each shoe is mounted on a spindle 10 held by the boss 11 of'the pendent 12, which is swung by a spindle 13 on the terminal boss 14 of anarm 15 of the spider 16. From the hub 17 each pendent or arm extends toward the shaft, which arm is pressed by a helical spring 20 to force its associated shoe more firmly 'upon said flange. Said springs are each located in a housing 21 and are adjusted in their pressure by the screw plugs 22 (Fig. 2) tapped into an end of the housings. The threaded section of each housing is split and provided with a'clamping bolt 23 for locking each adjusting lug immovably in position. By means 0 these plugs, the shoes are adjusted to a perfect equality in friction grip; the same being determined byplacing slips of paperbeneath the shoes and turning the plugs until all can be withdrawn with equal effort. The driving pressure for turning the pulley 3 is arranged to be against the pendents just opposite to the springs 20. For such purpose I provide a collar 25 fixed upon said shaft 4: and having as many arms 26 as there are pendents. Each arm has a screw 27 setting against one of said pendents, and means for clamping the screw in its adjusted positions, said means consisting of a bolt 29 binding the.,split end of-each arm firmly against the screw. For accurately adjusting all said screws 27, a slip of card board is introduced between each screw and its associated pendent, and the screws turned up until all the strips are equally difiicult of removal; the shaft and pulley being held from turning during the operation. For the clearer illustration of the other parts of the clutch mechanism in Fig. 4, said screws, screw plugs and helical springs are not shown there1n.- As the shaft 4 revolves, the screws 27 are pressed against the pendents or arms 12, and the latter against the helical springs 20. If the resistance of the belt 1 and the winding mechanism is at its minimum, said springs are not compressed and the full grip of the friction shoes 6 is maintained. Consequently, the

pulley 3 is driven without slip of the clutch shoes. If, now, increased energy is required for driving the winding mechanism and a resultant increase in resistance to said pulley, the screws 27' press harder against the pendents 12, the springs 20 are slightly compressed, the shoes thereby have their gripping pressure diminished, the pulley 3 slips relative to said shaft, and all excess of strain on the cloth being wound is instantly relieved. As a matter of fact,

this grip-releasing clutch is so exceedinglysensitive that no appreciable differences in Strain upon the cloth-can be detected, no

- matter what the .size of the roll, or variations in winding-radii. Further, by altering the-pressure of the helical springs 20, the machine can be easily adjusted to wind either very loosely, or very tightly, or any grade between.

Although a single clutch shoe and associated parts can be employed, I find it' to be preferable to use several thereof, as the four set forth in the drawings, since the latter give more equable and reliable results.

What I claim as my invention and for which I desire Letters Patent is as follows, to wit 1 1. A driving clutch comprising a rotated Shaft, a pulley rotatable thereon and formed with a'flange concentric therewith, a friction rotative on said shaft, a lever arm fulcrumed on said arm and projecting radially inward, a shoe carried by said lever arm to contact with said flange, a spring supported by the first-named arm and acting against said lever arm to increase the pressure of said shoe on said flange, and means carried: by said shaft for rotating said pulley and flange, said rotating means acting against said lever arm and spring to diminish the pressure of said shoe on said flange.

3. A driving clutch comprising a rotated shaft, a pulley rotatable thereon and formed w th a flange concentric therewith, a radially extending arm rotative on said shaft,

a lever arm fulcrumed on said arm and projecting radially inward, a shoe carried by said lever arm in contact with said flange, a spring supported by said radial arm acting against said lever arm to increase the press sure of said shoe on said flange, a screw plug adapted for varying the pressureof said spring, a member rigid with-said shaft, and a screw turning in said vmember in contact with said lever arm, whereby the rotation of said shaft presses said screw against said lever arm and spring both to rotate said pulley and to diminish the grip of said shoe upon said flange.

4. A driving clutch comprising a rotated shaft, a pulley rotatableon said shaft and having a flange concentric therewith, a frame having radial arms rotatable on said shaft, said frame having housings, a helical spring in each housing, a screw plug in each housing for the adjustment of its spring, a-pendent 'fulcrumed at the'end' of each of said arms and resting against one of said springs, ashoe jpivotally carried by each of said pendents in contact'with said flange, said springs acting to increase the pressure of said shoes on sald flange, a collarfixed on said shaft and having radial fingers equal in number to said arms, and j a set screw carried by each .of said fingers in contact with one of said pendents and actingboth to decrease the friction grip of said shoes on said flange and also to rotate f said frame, pendents and'pulley.

, In testimony that I claim the fore oing invention, I have hereunto set my'han this 5th day of February, 1914.

JOHN E. WINDLE. Witnesses:

A. B. UPHAM, JOSEPH W. Downs. 

